SYFA Vice President Honoured by Sportscotland

Raymond Kelly the Vice President of the Scottish Youth Football Association was presented with the Sportscotland Award for Local Service to Sports at an awards dinner in Aberdeen hosted by the City of Aberdeen and the Aberdeen Sports Council.

Raymond had qualified as a football referee in his native Dundee before moving to Aberdeen 20 years ago. He continued to referee before being asked to take on the Secretary’s duties of the then Aberdeen Youth League Juvenile Football Association. This consisted of a total of 19 teams in the Under 18’s and 16’s age groups. He was then approached to look after the Under 12 Juvenile League and shortly after he also took the Amateur Youth Service Association under his wing which included the 13’s 14’s and 15’s age groups.

In 1991 all three associations amalgamated to form the Aberdeen and District Juvenile Football Association. Under Raymond Kelly’s stewardship as secretary it a has grown to such an extent that it has membership of over 160 teams in the 13’s to 19’s age groups. There are also now one hundred and fifteen teams competing in the small-sided games at age 10’s to 12’s.

At National Level, Raymond has been a very active member of the game’s governing body being an Executive Member of the former Scottish Juvenile FA before joining, in 1999, the newly formed Scottish Youth FA Executive Committee. Raymond is now Vice President of that body.

Raymond has also been a very active member of the Aberdeen Sports Council being an Executive member for over 15 years and undertaking the Treasurers duties for several years.

Raymond fits in all these commitments to sport with a very busy business life which can see him travelling to America one week then off to Indonesia or South America the next.

Raymond Kelly was truly deserving of this award for his years of commitment and dedication to Youth Football.